Exploring New Year's Traditions You've Never Heard Of
As the clock strikes midnight, billions worldwide bid farewell to the old year and embrace the new. But while the sentiment is universal, the ways in which cultures celebrate couldn't be more diverse. Every tradition tells a story of renewal and shared joy, but which are the strangest?
United States
What used to be an American tradition is currently a global one, as people tune in to witness the New Year's Eve ball drop in Times Square, New York City. This tradition began in 1907 when fireworks were banned and has evolved over the years to dazzle millions of viewers.
Anthony Quintano, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Estonia
In Estonia, New Year's Eve is celebrated with an unusual focus on food. The tradition involves eating seven, nine, or twelve meals on December 31st, as these numbers are considered lucky. However, part of the meal must be left uneaten for visiting spirits.
Magical Tallinn Christmas Market Experience 2023 by Visit Tallinn - Medieval city by the sea!
Spain
This tradition has gained popularity over social media platforms like TikTok, but it's actually related to a Spanish custom. The Twelve Grapes of Luck involves eating 12 grapes in the year's last seconds while sitting under a table for riches.
Puerto Rico
Most people do rituals to guarantee their new year is full of good luck. In Puerto Rico, a quirky New Year's Eve tradition involves throwing buckets of water out of windows to chase away evil spirits. They also clean their houses thoroughly and spread sugar outside to invite good fortune.
Turkey
Turkish celebrations are a mix of ancient and modern practices. Some people wear red underwear for luck and love in the coming year. Another popular tradition is breaking pomegranates on the doorstep to bring abundance and prosperity. Fireworks and parties are more common in urban areas.
Denmark
In Denmark, ringing in the New Year involves smashing plates against friends' doors—a tradition believed to bring good luck. This custom dates back centuries and is inspired by the idea that broken items ward off bad spirits. Over the years, it evolved into a playful competition.
Brazil
When people welcome the New Year, wearing white and heading to the beach is customary in Brazil. They offer gifts to the Iemanjá, the goddess of the sea in Afro-Brazilian religions in a tradition that mixes indigenous, African, and Catholic influences to show Brazil's rich cultural composition.
Ecuador
For many years, Ecuadorians have prepared scarecrows to burn them on New Year's Eve. The año viejo effigies are usually caricatures of politicians or fictional characters, stuffed with paper or sawdust and set ablaze at midnight to symbolically rid the past year's misfortunes.
Año Viejo 2022 Ecuador #ecuador #tradition #añoviejo #effigy by Ecuador Tourism spots review
Portugal
In Portugal, New Year's Eve involves a unique tradition of jumping on the right foot at midnight. This symbolic act represents starting the year on the "right" path. Many also eat salted cod or 12 raisins at midnight, one for each month of the year, while making wishes.
Scotland
The Scottish Hogmanay dates back to Viking times, and it's famous for the first footing tradition. This practice assumes that the first person to cross a household's threshold after midnight is believed to bring good luck. Traditionally, this person should bring symbolic gifts like shortbread or whisky.
Luca Nebuloni, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
South Africa
In many parts of the world, people believe that letting go of the old makes space for the new. South Africans welcome a new year by throwing old furniture out of windows, and although authorities discourage the practice, it remains a unique way to mark the year's turning.
JordanLyons, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Germany
Germans eat Silvesterkarpfen or New Year's Carp for good luck on New Year's Eve. They melt lead and pour it into cold water to interpret the shapes. Some Germans carry a scale of carp in their wallets to bring them money.
Silvesterkarpfen nach Kurt Drummer - DDR Rezept vom Fernsehkoch by Ostdeutsch Kochen
Peru
In Peru, particularly in the Chumbivilcas Province, New Year's Eve coincides with Takanakuy, a festival where people settle grievances by engaging in fistfights. These fights are accompanied by traditional music and dancing and are seen as a way to start the new year with a clean slate.
Aldo cristian ccansaya curi, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Zimbabwe
Traditional Mapira dances in colorful costumes and drumming sessions that last through the night mark New Year's celebrations in Zimbabwe. These rituals are rooted in Shona culture and are meant to honor ancestors and seek their blessings for the coming year. Participants use rhythms to communicate with the spiritual world.
Gochazg, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Greece
In Greece, the New Year coincides with the feast of Saint Basil, and families bake vasilopita, a sweet bread or cake with a hidden coin. Whoever finds the coin is said to have good luck. Another unusual custom involves hanging onions outside homes as a symbol of rebirth and fertility.
VASILOPITA - Greek New Year's Cake - One Bowl! By Mary's Kouzina
Mongolia
Mongolians celebrate the New Year with the new moon, which coincides with the New Lunar Year. The celebrations are related to the Tsagaan Sar or White Month and usually last three days. Families gather for feasts and dairy products that represent purity.
Satpal Dandiwal, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Chile
While many people prefer to hold parties, in the town of Talca, Chile, families celebrate New Year's Eve in cemeteries to spend the night with deceased loved ones. The tradition symbolizes staying connected to family, both living and departed, and people bring candles and food to create a serene atmosphere.
Gonzalo Orellana Hidalgo, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Finland
Just like the Germans and Austrians, the Finns melt tin horseshoes and pour the liquid metal into cold water. The shapes formed are interpreted to predict the year, with hearts representing love and boats symbolizing travel. The practice dates back to ancient Norse rituals.
India
Celebrations in India vary widely across regions to reflect the country's cultural and religious diversity. While urban areas often embrace parties and fireworks similar to Western traditions, in southern regions, people celebrate Puthandu or Ugadi in April with family feasts and rangoli designs.
Amila Tennakoon, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
El Salvador
Like most Central American countries, most people wait for New Year's Eve to predict their fortunes. They crack an egg into a glass of water and leave it overnight to see which figure will bring them happiness. They also wear their undergarments inside out and then reverse them after midnight.
France
French people celebrate with the le Réveillon, a lavish evening feast that lasts well into the early hours of the morning. It's centered around gourmet food like oysters, foie gras, and fine wine. Some regions also celebrate by sharing a Galette des Rois to mark the upcoming Epiphany.
Steph Gray le 15 janvier 2011, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Haiti
African and Catholic traditions mix in Haitian culture, where people prepare joumou soup in the Félicité’s tradition. They serve the soup to poor people who come over the next day, as this guarantees that they will receive divine help and good luck.
Lëa-Kim Châteauneuf, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Ireland
First Footing is the Irish celebration where the first person who enters a home symbolizes good luck. He's expected to be a tall, dark-haired man, as a superstition rooted in Celtic beliefs. People also bang bread against the walls for good luck.
The Philippines
One of the strangest customs in the New Year's celebration in the Philippines is the obsession with round objects that represent wealth. Filipinos will often wear polka-dotted clothing, display bowls of round fruits, and make sure their houses are filled with circular shapes, as they believe this will attract abundance.
Bolivia
In Bolivia, people burn figures that represent the past year's misfortunes or even political figures. The figures are filled with fireworks to make for a spectacular and symbolic farewell to the old year. Bolivians also wear yellow underwear, as they believe it will bring them happiness.
Canada
As the temperature drops, Canadians engage in the Polar Bear Swim, where brave souls plunge into the icy waters of lakes and oceans. The tradition, which started in the early 1900s, shows a willingness to take on challenges. Some also go ice fishing.
eagle102.net, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Italy
As Romans believed lentils symbolized coins, Italians eat lentils at midnight to celebrate La Festa di San Silvestro or the New Year. They believe eating lentils means that they will get rich. Another quirky tradition is throwing old clothes and belongings out the window to let go of past troubles.
Thailand
While Thailand's official New Year, Songkran, is celebrated in April, Western New Year's Eve is also observed with its own unique traditions. One quirky way Thais gather in public spaces is to splash each other with water in a ritual that represents purification.
JJ Harrison, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Belarus
In Belarus, single women participate in games like placing corn piles on the ground and watching which pile a rooster approaches first to see who will marry first. Another game involves mirrors, where women try to catch a glimpse of their future husbands.
Japan
Buddhist and Shinto beliefs mark the Japanese celebrations. At Buddhist temples, bells are rung 108 times to represent the cleansing of earthly desires and prepare for a fresh start. Another tradition involves eating buckwheat noodles that represent long life and resilience.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
Czech Republic
Based on customs from ancient agrarian societies, the Czechs combine traditions with simplicity, as they cut an apple in half to predict the year ahead. The shape of the apple's core determines one's fortune: a star shape brings health and happiness, while a cross indicates challenges.
Nadiatalent, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Uruguay
The people of Uruguay dance the Candombe, a traditional Afro-Uruguayan dance that involves rhythmic drumming and vibrant costumes. It's inspired by the African slaves who brought their culture to Latin America. They also throw water buckets and water balloons out of the windows to prank people walking by.
Larrycox54, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
Switzerland
In the canton of Appenzell in Switzerland, New Year's Eve features the peculiar Sylvesterkläuse festival. People dress in elaborate, often bizarre costumes, ranging from traditional folk attire to surreal, oversized masks. These costumed individuals visit homes to sing songs and chant blessings for good fortune.
South Korea
While Seollal, or the Lunar New Year, is the major celebration in South Korea, Western New Year's Eve is marked with distinctive bell-ringing ceremonies. Thousands gather at the Boshingak Bell Pavilion to witness the massive bell being struck 33 times at midnight. This practice is rooted in ancient customs.
Richard Mortel, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Colombia
Colombians place three potatoes under the bed: one peeled, one unpeeled, and one partially peeled. At midnight, someone grabs a random one. The peeled potato predicts hardship, the unpeeled one signifies prosperity, and the partially peeled one suggests a mix. Additionally, many walk with empty suitcases for travel and adventures.
Norway
Eating a traditional kransekake or wreath cake is a tradition in Norway. This cake is made of almond-flavored rings and decorated with powdered sugar and small flags. Originally linked to weddings and special occasions, kransekake has become a centerpiece for New Year's festivities.
Jonathunder, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
England
The English people enjoy the iconic chimes of Big Ben at midnight. Crowds gather near the Houses of Parliament in London to hear the famous clock strike twelve, often followed by a spectacular fireworks display over the Thames. For many, the chimes represent a moment of unity and reflection.
Armenia
After writing their wishes for the New Year on small pieces of paper, Armenians set them on fire. The ashes are often scattered outside or kept as a symbolic gesture. This custom releases the past for a fresh start and is rooted in old beliefs about fire as a purifier.
Bulgaria
Children craft survakane sticks from dogwood branches, then decorate them with popcorn, dried fruit, and wool in Bulgaria. They use the sticks to lightly tap family and friends while reciting blessings for health and happiness. The origins of survakane trace back to pagan rituals that celebrate fertility.
Teodor Kolev - 01.01.2022 Survakane 2 by martin kolev
China
While the Lunar New Year is the main celebration in China, December 31st is also marked with unique customs. One tradition involves lighting red lanterns and then setting them afloat or hanging them to illuminate the night. Fireworks are also believed to ward off evil spirits.
epSos .de, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Russia
During the Soviet era, Christmas was banned. As a result, Russians celebrated New Year's Eve by giving gifts. Ded Moroz, or Grandfather Frost, and his companion deliver presents to children while people burn their wishes and mix the ashes into their champagne. They drink it to ensure wishes come true.
Hungary
Foods shaped like pigs are popular in Hungary, as pigs symbolize progress and prosperity, while poultry is avoided because it's thought to "scratch away" luck. Making noise is another essential element, and people use horns and bells to scare off bad spirits.
Malta
Many Maltese attend a special midnight Mass to welcome the New Year with prayers and gratitude. Afterward, fireworks light up the skies, and families gather for feasts featuring traditional Maltese dishes like rabbit stew while drinking Imbuljuta tal-Qastan, a traditional chestnut drink.
Jonathan borg, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Mexico
Throwing a glass of water out of the window is a tradition in Mexico. People believe that this glass symbolizes all their tears, and they throw water out to invite happiness into their lives. Some Mexicans also follow the Spanish tradition of eating grapes.
